Micronization device

Abstract

To provide a micronization device capable of efficiently micronizing raw materials.SOLUTION: A micronization device according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: a casing having a feed inlet and an outlet; a rotor housed within the casing, having blades, and rotating about the rotational axis to micronize the feed material; and an air ejection section having at least one nozzle for ejecting air into a space in the casing on the inlet side of the rotor. Furthermore, a plurality of nozzles are arranged on a wall part of the casing while being spaced from each other along the circumferential direction of the rotor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a microfabrication apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a sheet manufacturing apparatus that includes a crushing section that crushes waste paper roughly, a defibrating section that defibrates the coarsely crushed pieces obtained in the crushing section, a depositing section that deposits the defibrated material obtained in the defibrating section on a flat surface, a heating and pressurizing section that heats and pressurizes the deposited web, a cutting section that cuts the sheet obtained in the heating and pressurizing section into a predetermined shape, and a sheet collecting section that collects the obtained sheet.

[0003] The defibrating section can be, for example, a turbo-type pulverizer as described in Patent Document 1. The turbo-type pulverizer of Patent Document 1 has a casing with a raw material inlet and a pulverized product outlet, a liner attached to the inner surface of the casing, and a rotor equipped with blades that rotates within the casing. When the raw material passes between the cutting edges of the rotating rotor and the liner, the raw material is pulverized, and the pulverized material is discharged from the pulverized product outlet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-276916 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the turbo mill described in Patent Document 1, the gap between the cutting edge of the rotor blades and the liner is relatively narrow, and depending on the size and amount of raw material fed, the raw material may not smoothly enter between the rotor and the liner, and may become stuck in front of the rotor. If this happens, the raw material cannot be continuously and satisfactorily pulverized. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The micronization device of the present invention comprises: a casing having a raw material inlet and outlet; a rotor housed in the casing, having blades, and rotating around a rotation axis to pulverize the raw material; and an air ejection unit having at least one nozzle that ejects air into a space inside the casing that is closer to the inlet than the rotor. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a sheet manufacturing apparatus including a micronization device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the micro-fining apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a time chart showing an example of a pattern of timing at which the air ejection unit shown in FIG. 2 ejects air. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a jetting direction adjusting section provided in a second embodiment of the micro-fining device of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a nozzle position adjusting section provided in a third embodiment of the micro-fining device of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The micropatterning apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0009] First Embodiment Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a sheet manufacturing apparatus including a micronization device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the micronization device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a time chart showing an example of a timing pattern at which the air ejection unit shown in Fig. 2 ejects air.

[0010] In the following, the upper side of FIG. 1 may be referred to as "top" or "upper," and the lower side as "bottom" or "lower." Furthermore, the left side of FIG. 2 may be referred to as "left" or "left side," and the right side as "right" or "right side." Furthermore, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram, and the relative positions, orientations, sizes, etc. of the various components of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 are not limited to those shown. Furthermore, in FIG. 1, the direction in which the coarsely crushed pieces M2, defibrated material M3, first sorted material M4-1, second sorted material M4-2, first web M5, finely divided material M6, mixture M7, second web M8, and recycled paper S are transported, i.e., the direction indicated by the arrow, is also referred to as the transport direction. Furthermore, the tip of the arrow in FIG. 1 is also referred to as the "downstream side" in the transport direction, and the base of the arrow in FIG. 1 is also referred to as the "upstream side" in the transport direction.

[0011] The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 is a sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 that produces recycled paper S in sheet form from raw material M1, which is waste paper such as used copy paper.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a raw material supply section 11, a coarse crushing section 12, a micronizing device 13 of the present invention, a sorting section 14, a first web forming section 15, a fine dividing section 16, a mixing section 17, a dispersion section 18, a second web forming section 19, a molding section 20, a cutting section 21, a storage section 22, and a recovery section 27.

[0013] The sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 also includes a humidifying section 231, a humidifying section 232, a humidifying section 233, a humidifying section 234, a humidifying section 235, and a humidifying section 236. In addition, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 also includes a blower 261, a blower 262, and a blower 263.

[0014] In addition, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 carries out a raw material supply process, a coarse crushing process, a defibrating process, a sorting process, a first web forming process, a dividing process, a mixing process, a loosening process, a second web forming process, a sheet forming process, and a cutting process in this order.

[0015] The configuration of each part will be explained below. The raw material supply unit 11 is a part that performs a raw material supply step of supplying raw material M1 to the crushing unit 12. This raw material M1 is a sheet-like material made of a fiber-containing substance containing cellulose fibers. Note that cellulose fibers are any fibrous material whose main component is cellulose as a compound, and may contain hemicellulose and lignin in addition to cellulose. The raw material M1 may be in any form, such as woven fabric or nonwoven fabric. The raw material M1 may be, for example, recycled paper made by disintegrating waste paper and regenerating it, or synthetic paper such as Yupo paper (registered trademark), or it may not be recycled paper.

[0016] The crushing unit 12 is a part that performs a crushing step in which the raw material M1 supplied from the raw material supply unit 11 is crushed in air such as the atmosphere. The crushing unit 12 has a pair of crushing blades 121 and a chute 122.

[0017] The pair of crushing blades 121 rotate in opposite directions to each other, thereby crushing the raw material M1 between them, i.e., cutting it into crushed pieces M2. The shape and size of the crushed pieces M2 are preferably suitable for defibration processing in the pulverizer 13. Examples of the shape of the crushed pieces M2 include small pieces with a square planar shape, rectangular pieces, and particularly small pieces with a strip shape. The size of the crushed pieces M2 is preferably small pieces with an average side length of 100 mm or less, and more preferably small pieces with an average side length of 3 mm or more and 70 mm or less. The shape of the small pieces may be other than square or rectangular. The thickness is preferably 0.07 mm or more and 0.10 mm or less.

[0018] The chute 122 is disposed below the pair of crushing blades 121 and is, for example, funnel-shaped, so that the chute 122 can receive the coarsely crushed pieces M2 that have been crushed by the crushing blades 121 and dropped.

[0019] Furthermore, above the chute 122, a humidifying section 231 is disposed adjacent to the pair of coarse crushing blades 121. The humidifying section 231 humidifies the coarsely crushed pieces M2 inside the chute 122. This humidifying section 231 is configured as an evaporative humidifier that has a filter (not shown) that contains moisture, and supplies humidified air with increased humidity to the coarsely crushed pieces M2 by passing air through the filter. By supplying humidified air to the coarsely crushed pieces M2, it is possible to prevent the coarsely crushed pieces M2 from adhering to the chute 122, etc. due to electrostatic force.

[0020] The chute 122 is connected to the upstream side of the micronization device 13 via a pipe 241. That is, the downstream end of the pipe 241 is connected to the inlet 31 of the micronization device 13 shown in Figure 2. The coarse fragments M2 collected in the chute 122 pass through the pipe 241 and are transported to the micronization device 13.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the pulverization device 13 is a part that performs a defibration step in which the coarse fragments M2 are defibrated in the air, i.e., in a dry manner. By the defibration process in this pulverization device 13, it is possible to generate defibrated material M3 from the coarse fragments M2. Here, "defibration" refers to untangling the coarse fragments M2, which are made up of multiple fibers bonded together, into individual fibers. This untangled material becomes the defibrated material M3. The shape of the defibrated material M3 is linear or strip-like. Furthermore, the defibrated material M3 may exist in a state where it is entangled with other pieces and forms a mass, that is, in a state where it forms so-called "lumps."

[0022] Furthermore, the pulverizing device 13 can generate an air flow from the crushing section 12 toward the sorting section 14, that is, an airflow, by rotation of the rotor 5 described below. This allows the coarsely crushed pieces M2 to be introduced from the pipe 241 to the upstream side of the pulverizing device 13, and after defibration processing, the defibrated material M3 can be sent to the sorting section 14 via the pipe 242.

[0023] A pipe 242 is connected to the downstream side of the micronization device 13. A blower 261, which is composed of, for example, a turbo fan, is installed midway through the pipe 242. The blower 261 is an airflow generating device that generates an airflow toward the sorting section 14. This promotes the introduction of the coarse fragments M2 into the micronization device 13 and the delivery of the defibrated material M3 to the sorting section 14. As will be described later, the micronization device 13 is structurally designed to smoothly pass through and defibrate the coarse fragments M2, which are the raw material, and operation of the blower 261 installed downstream of the micronization device 13 promotes the passage of the coarse fragments M2 within the micronization device 13 and the defibration process. The blower 261 may also be installed upstream of the micronization device 13.

[0024] The sorting unit 14 is a section that performs a sorting process to sort the defibrated material M3 according to fiber length. In the sorting unit 14, the defibrated material M3 is sorted into a first sorted material M4-1 and a second sorted material M4-2 that has a longer fiber length than the first sorted material M4-1. The first sorted material M4-1 has a size suitable for the subsequent production of recycled paper S. On the other hand, the second sorted material M4-2 includes, for example, material that is insufficiently defibrated or material in which defibrated fibers have excessively aggregated together.

[0025] The sorting unit 14 has a drum unit 141 and a housing unit 142 that houses the drum unit 141.

[0026] The drum part 141 is a sieve made up of a cylindrical mesh body that rotates around its central axis. The defibrated material M3 flows into this drum part 141. As the drum part 141 rotates, defibrated material M3 that is smaller than the mesh openings is sorted as first sorted material M4-1, and defibrated material M3 that is larger than the mesh openings is sorted as second sorted material M4-2. The first sorted item M4-1 falls from the drum section 141.

[0027] Meanwhile, the second sorted material M4-2 is sent to a pipe 243 connected to the drum section 141. The end of the pipe 243 opposite the drum section 141, i.e., the downstream end, is connected to the middle of the pipe 241. The second sorted material M4-2 that has passed through this pipe 243 merges with the coarsely crushed fragments M2 in the pipe 241 and flows into the refinement device 13 together with the coarsely crushed fragments M2. As a result, the second sorted material M4-2 is returned to the refinement device 13 and is defibrated together with the coarsely crushed fragments M2.

[0028] The first sorted material M4-1 that has fallen from the drum unit 141 disperses in the air as it falls, heading toward the first web forming unit 15 located below the drum unit 141. The first web forming unit 15 is a unit that carries out the first web forming step of forming the first web M5 from the first sorted material M4-1. The first web forming unit 15 has a mesh belt 151, three tension rollers 152, and a suction unit 153.

[0029] The mesh belt 151 is an endless belt on which the first sorted material M4-1 accumulates. The mesh belt 151 is looped around three tension rollers 152. As the tension rollers 152 rotate, the first sorted material M4-1 on the mesh belt 151 is transported downstream.

[0030] The size of the first sorted material M4-1 is equal to or larger than the mesh openings of the mesh belt 151. This restricts the first sorted material M4-1 from passing through the mesh belt 151, and therefore the first sorted material M4-1 can be accumulated on the mesh belt 151. Furthermore, the first sorted material M4-1 is transported downstream together with the mesh belt 151 while being accumulated on the mesh belt 151, and is therefore formed as a layered first web M5.

[0031] Furthermore, the first sorted material M4-1 may contain, for example, dust and dirt. Dust and dirt may be generated, for example, by crushing or defibrating. Such dust and dirt will be collected in the collection unit 27, which will be described later.

[0032] The suction unit 153 is a suction mechanism that sucks air from below the mesh belt 151. This allows dust and dirt that has passed through the mesh belt 151 to be sucked in together with the air.

[0033] Furthermore, suction unit 153 is connected to collection unit 27 via pipe 244. Dust and dirt sucked by suction unit 153 are collected in collection unit 27.

[0034] A pipe 245 is further connected to the collection unit 27. A blower 262 is installed midway along the pipe 245. By operating the blower 262, a suction force can be generated in the suction unit 153. This promotes the formation of the first web M5 on the mesh belt 151. Dust and dirt are removed from this first web M5. By operating the blower 262, the dust and dirt pass through the pipe 244 and reach the collection unit 27.

[0035] The housing 142 is connected to the humidifying section 232. The humidifying section 232 is configured as an evaporative humidifier. This allows humidified air to be supplied into the housing 142. This humidified air can humidify the first sorted items M4-1, thereby preventing the first sorted items M4-1 from adhering to the inner wall of the housing 142 due to electrostatic force.

[0036] A humidifying unit 235 is disposed downstream of the sorting unit 14. The humidifying unit 235 is configured with an ultrasonic humidifier that sprays water. This allows moisture to be supplied to the first web M5, thereby adjusting the moisture content of the first web M5. This adjustment makes it possible to suppress adhesion of the first web M5 to the mesh belt 151 due to electrostatic force. As a result, the first web M5 is easily peeled off from the mesh belt 151 at the position where the mesh belt 151 is folded back by the tension roller 152.

[0037] The dividing unit 16 is disposed downstream of the humidifying unit 235. The dividing unit 16 is a section that performs a dividing step of dividing the first web M5 peeled off from the mesh belt 151. The dividing unit 16 has a rotatably supported propeller 161 and a housing unit 162 that houses the propeller 161. The rotating propeller 161 can divide the first web M5. The divided first web M5 becomes divided bodies M6. The divided bodies M6 descend within the housing unit 162.

[0038] The housing 162 is connected to the humidifier 233. The humidifier 233 is configured as an evaporative humidifier. This allows humidified air to be supplied into the housing 162. This humidified air can also prevent the fragmented bodies M6 from adhering to the propeller 161 or the inner wall of the housing 162 due to electrostatic force.

[0039] A mixing section 17 is disposed downstream of the dividing section 16. The mixing section 17 is a section where a mixing step of mixing the divided bodies M6 with an additive is performed. The mixing section 17 has an additive supply section 171, a pipe 172, and a blower 173.

[0040] The pipe 172 connects the housing 162 of the subdivision section 16 and the housing 182 of the dispersion section 18, and is a flow path through which the mixture M7 of the subdivision bodies M6 and the additive passes.

[0041] An additive supply unit 171 is connected to the middle of the pipe 172. The additive supply unit 171 has a housing unit 170 in which an additive is accommodated, and a screw feeder 174 provided in the housing unit 170. By rotation of the screw feeder 174, the additive in the housing unit 170 is pushed out of the housing unit 170 and supplied into the pipe 172. The additive supplied into the pipe 172 is mixed with the pulverized body M6 to form a mixture M7.

[0042] Here, examples of additives supplied from the additive supply unit 171 include binders that bind fibers together, colorants that color fibers, aggregation inhibitors that inhibit fiber aggregation, flame retardants that make fibers less flammable, and paper strength agents that increase the paper strength of the recycled paper S. One or more of these can be used in combination. Below, we will explain an example where the additive is binder P1. By including a binder that binds fibers together in the additive, the strength of the recycled paper S can be increased.

[0043] Examples of the binder P1 include naturally occurring ingredients such as starch, dextrin, glycogen, amylose, hyaluronic acid, kudzu, konjac, potato starch, etherified starch, esterified starch, natural gum glue, fiber-derived glue, seaweed, and animal protein, as well as polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylic acid, and polyacrylamide. One or more selected from these can be used in combination, but naturally occurring ingredients are preferred, and starch is more preferred. Also usable are thermoplastic resins such as various polyolefins, acrylic resins, polyvinyl chloride, polyesters, and polyamides, as well as various thermoplastic elastomers.

[0044] A blower 173 is installed in the pipe 172 downstream of the additive supply unit 171. The action of a rotating part such as a blade of the blower 173 promotes mixing of the fragmented bodies M6 and the binder P1. The blower 173 can also generate an airflow directed toward the dispersion unit 18. This airflow can agitate the fragmented bodies M6 and the binder P1 within the pipe 172. As a result, the mixture M7 is transported to the dispersion unit 18 in a state in which the fragmented bodies M6 and the binder P1 are uniformly dispersed. The fragmented bodies M6 in the mixture M7 are also loosened as they pass through the pipe 172, becoming finer fibers.

[0045] The blower 173 is electrically connected to the control device 28, and its operation is controlled by the control device 28. The amount of air sent into the drum 181 can be adjusted by adjusting the airflow rate of the blower 173.

[0046] Although not shown, the end of pipe 172 on the drum 181 side is branched into two, and the branched ends are each connected to an inlet port (not shown) formed on the end face of drum 181.

[0047] 1 is a section that performs a disentangling process of disentangling and releasing entangled fibers in the mixture M7. The dispersion section 18 has a drum 181 that introduces and releases the defibrated mixture M7, and a housing 182 that houses the drum 181.

[0048] Drum 181 is a sieve made of a cylindrical mesh body that rotates around its central axis. As drum 181 rotates, fibers and the like in mixture M7 that are smaller than the mesh openings can pass through drum 181. At that time, mixture M7 is loosened and released together with air. In other words, drum 181 functions as a release section that releases material containing fibers.

[0049] The drum 181 is connected to a drive source (not shown) and rotates by the torque output from the drive source. The drive source is electrically connected to the control device 28, which controls the operation of the drive source.

[0050] Furthermore, housing 182 is connected to humidifier 234. Humidifier 234 is configured as an evaporative humidifier. This allows humidified air to be supplied into housing 182. This humidified air can humidify the inside of housing 182, and therefore, it is also possible to prevent mixture M7 from adhering to the inner wall of housing 182 due to electrostatic force.

[0051] The mixture M7 discharged from the drum 181 falls while being dispersed in the air, and heads toward the second web forming unit 19 located below the drum 181. The second web forming unit 19 is a section where the second web forming step is carried out, in which the mixture M7 is deposited to form a second web M8, which is a deposit. The second web forming unit 19 has a mesh belt 191, a tension roller 192, and a suction unit 193.

[0052] The mesh belt 191 is a mesh member, and in the illustrated configuration, is configured as an endless belt. The mixture M7 dispersed and discharged by the dispersion unit 18 is deposited on the mesh belt 191. The mesh belt 191 is wound around four tension rollers 192. The rotation of the tension rollers 192 transports the mixture M7 on the mesh belt 191 downstream.

[0053] In the illustrated configuration, a mesh belt 191 is used as an example of a mesh member, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a flat plate-shaped member may also be used.

[0054] Furthermore, most of the mixture M7 on the mesh belt 191 has a size equal to or larger than the mesh openings of the mesh belt 191. This restricts the passage of the mixture M7 through the mesh belt 191, and therefore the mixture M7 can be deposited on the mesh belt 191. Furthermore, while being deposited on the mesh belt 191, the mixture M7 is transported downstream together with the mesh belt 191, and is therefore formed as a layered second web M8.

[0055] The suction unit 193 is a suction mechanism that sucks air from below the mesh belt 191. This allows the mixture M7 to be sucked onto the mesh belt 191, thereby facilitating the deposition of the mixture M7 on the mesh belt 191.

[0056] A pipe 246 is connected to the suction unit 193. A blower 263 is installed midway along the pipe 246. By operating the blower 263, the suction unit 193 can generate a suction force.

[0057] A humidifying section 236 is disposed downstream of the dispersion section 18. The humidifying section 236 is configured with an ultrasonic humidifier similar to the humidifying section 235. This allows moisture to be supplied to the second web M8, thereby adjusting the moisture content of the second web M8. This adjustment makes it possible to suppress adhesion of the second web M8 to the mesh belt 191 due to electrostatic force. This allows the second web M8 to be easily peeled off from the mesh belt 191 at the position where the mesh belt 191 is folded back by the tension roller 192.

[0058] The total amount of water added to the humidifying units 231 to 236 is preferably, for example, 0.5 parts by mass or more and 20 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the material before humidification.

[0059] A forming unit 20 is disposed downstream of the second web forming unit 19. The forming unit 20 is a section where a sheet forming process is carried out to form recycled paper S from the second web M8. The forming unit 20 has a pressure applying unit 201 and a heating unit 202.

[0060] The pressure applying unit 201 has a pair of calender rollers 203, and can apply pressure to the second web M8 between the calender rollers 203 without heating it. This increases the density of the second web M8. When heating, the degree of heating is preferably such that the binder P1 does not melt. The second web M8 is then transported toward the heating unit 202. One of the pair of calender rollers 203 is a driven roller driven by the operation of a motor (not shown), and the other is a driven roller.

[0061] The heating section 202 has a pair of heating rollers 204, and can apply pressure to the second web M8 while heating it between the heating rollers 204. This heating and pressurizing melts the binder P1 in the second web M8, and the fibers are bound together via this molten binder P1. This forms the recycled paper S. The recycled paper S is then transported toward the cutting section 21. One of the pair of heating rollers 204 is a drive roller driven by the operation of a motor (not shown), and the other is a driven roller.

[0062] The cutting unit 21 is disposed downstream of the forming unit 20. The cutting unit 21 is a part that performs a cutting step of cutting the recycled paper S. The cutting unit 21 has a first cutter 211 and a second cutter 212.

[0063] The first cutter 211 cuts the recycled paper S in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the recycled paper S, particularly in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the recycled paper S.

[0064] The second cutter 212 is located downstream of the first cutter 211 and cuts the recycled paper S in a direction parallel to the conveying direction of the recycled paper S. This cutting removes unnecessary portions from both side edges in the width direction of the recycled paper S to adjust the width of the recycled paper S.

[0065] The recycled paper S having the desired shape and size is obtained by cutting with the first cutter 211 and the second cutter 212. The recycled paper S is then transported further downstream and accumulated in the stock section 22.

[0066] Each of the components of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 is electrically connected to a control device 28. The operation of each of these components is controlled by the control device 28.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 28 includes a control unit 281, a storage unit 282, and a communication unit 283.

[0068] The control unit 281 has at least one processor and executes various programs stored in the storage unit 282. The processor may be, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 281 also has various functions, such as a function to control the drive of each component of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 related to sheet manufacturing, such as a function to control the drive of the blower 261, drive control of a motor M (described later), and on-off valves 641A, 641B, 641C, and 641D (described later).

[0069] The blower 261 and the motor M are driven to rotate at a predetermined timing and a predetermined number of rotations by the control unit 281 controlling the energization of the blower 261 and the motor M. It is preferable that the blower 261 and the motor M are driven at roughly the same time. This promotes smooth passage of the raw material through the micronization device 13 and good fiberization processing.

[0070] For example, a program related to sheet manufacturing is stored in the storage unit 282. With regard to the pulverization of the raw material by the pulverization device 13, a program related to an operation sequence including conditions such as the operation timing and rotation speed of the blower 261 and the motor M, and conditions such as the opening and closing timing of on-off valves 641A, 641B, 641C, and 641D, which will be described later, is stored.

[0071] The communication unit 283 is configured by, for example, an I / O interface, and communicates with each unit of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100. The communication unit 283 also has a function of communicating with a computer or server (not shown) via, for example, a network.

[0072] The control device 28 may be built into the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100, or may be provided in an external device such as an external computer. Furthermore, the control unit 281 and the storage unit 282 may be integrated into one unit, for example, or the control unit 281 may be built into the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 and the storage unit 282 may be provided in an external device such as an external computer, or the storage unit 282 may be built into the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 and the control unit 281 may be provided in an external device such as an external computer.

[0073] Next, the configuration of the micropatterning device 13 will be described. As shown in Figure 2, the pulverization device 13 pulverizes the supplied raw material to generate and discharge pulverized material, and in this embodiment, it is a defibration device that defibrates the supplied coarse fragments M2 to generate defibrated material M3.

[0074] In the refining device 13 incorporated in the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 shown in Figure 1, the second sorted material M4-2 is mixed together with the coarsely crushed fragments M2 as the raw material to be introduced, but since the amount of the second sorted material M4-2 in the raw material is small compared to the coarsely crushed fragments M2, the raw material to be introduced will be described below as the coarsely crushed fragments M2.

[0075] 2, the pulverization device 13 has a casing 3, a liner 4 arranged on the inner circumferential surface of the casing 3, a rotor 5 rotatably installed inside the casing 3, and a motor M that rotates and drives the rotor 5. The coarse fragments M2 are defibrated when passing between the outer periphery of the rotating rotor 5 and the liner 4, and become defibrated material M3.

[0076] The casing 3 has an inlet 31 for feeding the coarse fragments M2 into the casing 3, and an outlet 32 ​​for discharging the produced defibrated material M3 to the outside of the casing 3. The casing 3 is a cylindrical member having an internal space S0 for accommodating the liner 4 and the rotor 5.

[0077] The feed inlet 31 is provided on the side near the left end of the casing 3. The feed inlet 31 is provided in a cylindrical shape that protrudes radially outward from the casing 3. The feed inlet 31 is connected to the downstream end of the pipe 241 shown in FIG. 1, and the coarsely crushed pieces M2 generated in the crushing section 12 are fed into the casing 3 from the feed inlet 31 via the pipe 241.

[0078] The discharge outlet 32 ​​is provided on the side near the right end of the casing 3. The discharge outlet 32 ​​is provided in a cylindrical shape protruding radially outward from the casing 3. The discharge outlet 32 ​​is connected to the upstream end of the pipe 242 shown in FIG. 1, and the generated defibrated material M3 is discharged outside the casing 3 and transported to the sorting unit 14 via the pipe 242.

[0079] The inlet 31 and the outlet 32 ​​are located at the top of the casing 3 in FIG. 2, i.e., they are located at the same position in the circumferential direction of the casing 3. The protruding direction of the inlet 31 and the outlet 32 ​​is tangent to the inner periphery of the casing 3. However, the positions at which the inlet 31 and the outlet 32 ​​are formed are not limited to the above, and they may be shifted by a predetermined angle or on opposite sides, and the protruding direction is also not particularly limited.

[0080] The casing 3 also has partition plates 33 and 34 provided in the internal space S0. The partition plate 33 is provided on an extension of the inlet 31, with its thickness direction aligned with the rotation shaft 50. The partition plate 34 is provided on an extension of the outlet 32, with its thickness direction aligned with the rotation shaft 50. The partition plates 33 and 34 are disposed substantially parallel to each other. The ends of the partition plates 33 and 34 on the rotation shaft 50 side are spaced apart from the rotation shaft 50.

[0081] By providing the partition plate 33, the coarse fragments M2 fed from the feed port 31 can be guided to the vicinity of the rotation shaft 50. This contributes to the formation of an airflow, which will be described later, and by providing the partition plate 34, the generated defibrated material M3 can be effectively guided to the discharge port 32. This allows the defibrated material M3 to be discharged more smoothly.

[0082] The liner 4 is a cylindrical member arranged around the entire inner surface of the cylindrical portion of the casing 3. The central axis of the liner 4 is coaxial with the rotation shaft 50. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the outer peripheral surface of the liner 4 is fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the casing 3. As shown in FIG. 2, the axial length of the liner 4 is long enough to encompass the first blade 511 and the second blade 521, which will be described later. The liner 4 is made of a hard material such as metal.

[0083] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, teeth 41 are formed on the inner periphery of the liner 4.

[0084] The teeth 41 are provided along the circumferential direction of the liner 4 and have a plurality of protrusions 411 that protrude toward the center. The protrusions 411 also extend along the axial direction of the casing 3. Each protrusion 411 has the same protrusion height and an apex 412. A circle C connecting the apexes 412 is concentric with the rotation axis 50.

[0085] When the coarsely crushed pieces M2 pass between the outer periphery of the rotating rotor 5 and the teeth 41, they collide with the protruding parts 411 of the teeth 41 and are defibrated, producing defibrated material M3.

[0086] As shown in Figure 2, the rotor 5 has a rotating shaft 50, a first rotor portion 51, a second rotor portion 52 located on the right side of the first rotor portion 51, a fixed plate 53 located between the first rotor portion 51 and the second rotor portion 52, a side plate 54 located on the left side of the first rotor portion 51, and a side plate 55 located on the right side of the second rotor portion 52.

[0087] The first rotor section 51 is located on the left side of the rotor 5, that is, on the inlet 31 side, and the second rotor section 52 is located on the right side of the rotor 5, that is, on the outlet 32 ​​side.

[0088] The rotating shaft 50 is elongated and installed so as to extend in the left-right direction and pass through the casing 3. The rotating shaft 50 is rotatably supported by the casing 3 via a bearing (not shown), and its right end is connected to the output shaft of the motor M. When current is applied to the motor M, the motor M is driven and the rotating shaft 50 rotates in a predetermined direction. A reducer (not shown) may be installed between the output shaft of the motor M and the rotating shaft 50.

[0089] A fixed plate 53, a side plate 54, and a side plate 55 are fixed to the rotating shaft 50 in the longitudinal direction and spaced apart from each other. The fixed plate 53, the side plate 54, and the side plate 55 are disk-shaped, and each has a through-hole (not shown) in the center through which the rotating shaft 50 is inserted and fixed. The rotating shaft 50 is fitted into the through-holes formed in the fixed plate 53, the side plate 54, and the side plate 55, and is fixed to the rotating shaft 50.

[0090] 2 and 3, the first rotor section 51 has a plurality of first blades 511 arranged radially around the rotation axis 50 and a side plate 54 located on the left side of each of the first blades 511. In this embodiment, the number of installed first blades 511 is eight. The first blades 511 are arranged at equal angular intervals around the rotation axis 50.

[0091] Each first blade 511 is plate-shaped, particularly flat, and is arranged with each main surface oriented along the radial direction of the casing 3 and the rotor 5. A right end surface 512 of each first blade 511 is fixed to a left surface 531 of the fixed plate 53. A left end surface 513 of each first blade 511 is fixed to a right surface 541 of the side plate 54. An outer peripheral end of each first blade 511 is spaced a predetermined distance from the top 412 of the protrusion 411, and is configured to rotate without contacting the liner 4.

[0092] 2 and 4, the second rotor section 52 has a plurality of second blades 521 arranged radially around the rotation axis 50 and a side plate 55 located on the right side of each second blade 521. In this embodiment, the number of second blades 521 installed is eight. The second blades 521 are arranged at equal angular intervals around the rotation axis 50.

[0093] Each second blade 521 is plate-shaped, particularly flat, and is arranged with each main surface oriented along the radial direction of the casing 3 and the rotor 5. Each second blade 521 has a right end surface 522 fixed to a left surface 551 of the side plate 55. Furthermore, each second blade 521 has a left end surface 523 fixed to a right surface 532 of the fixing plate 53. The outer peripheral end of each second blade 521 is spaced a predetermined distance from the top 412 of the protrusion 411 and is configured to rotate without contacting the liner 4.

[0094] It should be noted that first blade 511 and second blade 521 are not limited to being flat plates, and may be curved or bent into a desired shape.

[0095] The fixed plate 53, the side plate 54, and the side plate 55 are arranged substantially parallel to each other at a predetermined interval along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 50. In this embodiment, the fixed plate 53 and the side plate 54, and the fixed plate 53 and the side plate 55 are arranged at equal intervals.

[0096] The rotation speed of the rotor 5 during fiberization is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1000 rpm or more and 300,000 rpm or less, and more preferably 3,000 rpm or more and 15,000 rpm or less.

[0097] In this embodiment, the first blades 511 have the same shape and size, and the second blades 521 have the same shape and size. However, this is not limiting, and at least one of the first blades 511 may have a different shape or size from the others, and at least one of the second blades 521 may have a different shape or size from the others.

[0098] In this embodiment, the average thickness of the first blade 511 and the average thickness of the second blade 521 are the same.

[0099] Furthermore, the first blades 511 and the second blades 521 are arranged in the same pattern when viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 50. In this embodiment, the first blades 511 and the second blades 521 are the same in number and in the same arrangement pattern. However, this configuration is not limited to this, and for example, the first blades 511 and the second blades 521 may be arranged in different numbers or in different circumferential arrangement patterns.

[0100] The first blade 511 and the second blade 521 are made of a hard material such as metal. It is preferable that the first blade 511 and the second blade 521 are made of the same material, but this is not a limitation.

[0101] The first blades 511 and the second blades 521 are arranged in the same pattern when viewed in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 50. That is, each first blade 511 and each second blade 521 overlaps when viewed in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 50. With this configuration, when viewed in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 50, the gaps between adjacent first blades 511 and the gaps between adjacent second blades 521 overlap. This makes it easy to insert a cleaning member such as a brush, facilitating maintenance.

[0102] However, this configuration is not limited to this, and the first blade 511 and the second blade 521 may only partially overlap the other, or the positions of the two blades may be offset in the circumferential or radial direction of the rotor 5.

[0103] The internal space S0 to the right of the second rotor portion 52 and the inside of the discharge port 32 are under negative pressure due to the operation of the blower 261 described above. When the rotor 5 rotates in this state in a predetermined direction, for example counterclockwise in FIG. 3, an airflow is generated that passes through the feed port 31, between the partition plate 33 and the left wall portion (side wall 36) of the casing 3, the internal space S0 to the left of the side plate 54, between the edges 511A of each first blade 511 and the liner 4, between the edges 521A of each second blade 521 and the liner 4, the internal space S0 to the right of the side plate 55, between the partition plate 34 and the right wall portion of the casing 3, and the discharge port 32 in this order. As a result, the coarse fragments M2 pass through the same path as this airflow, i.e., path R shown in FIG. 2. The coarsely crushed pieces M2 are pulverized, that is, defibrated, as they pass between the edge 511A of each first blade 511 and the liner 4, and between the edge 521A of each second blade 521 and the liner 4, in sequence.

[0104] The rotation direction of the rotor 5 is not particularly limited, and may be clockwise, which is opposite to that shown in FIGS.

[0105] In conventional micronization devices, the gap between the outer periphery (cutting edge) of the blade corresponding to the first blade 511 and the liner 4 is set relatively narrow, so that coarsely crushed pieces M2 corresponding to the raw material can sometimes remain in the space corresponding to the space S3 between the partition plate 33 and the side plate 54, or can become clogged locally, resulting in the problem of not being able to move smoothly between the outer periphery of the first blade 511 and the liner 4.

[0106] In contrast, the micropatterning device 13 can solve the above problem by adopting the following configuration, which will be explained in detail below.

[0107] 2 and 3, the atomization device 13 has an air ejection unit 6. The air ejection unit 6 has a nozzle 61A, a nozzle 61B, a nozzle 61C, a nozzle 61D, an air supply source 62, an air supply pipe 63A, an air supply pipe 63B, an air supply pipe 63C, an air supply pipe 63D, and an ejection amount adjustment unit 64.

[0108] One end of air pipes 63A, 63B, 63C and 63D is connected to air supply source 62, and the other end of air pipes 63A, 63B, 63C and 63D is connected to nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C and 61D, respectively.

[0109] Nozzle 61A, nozzle 61B, nozzle 61C and nozzle 61D are installed in casing 3, and each ejects air 7 into space S3 on the inlet 31 side of rotor 5.

[0110] Compressed air generated by air supply source 62 and having a flow rate adjusted by ejection amount adjustment unit 64 is supplied to nozzle 61A via air supply pipe 63A. This allows nozzle 61A to eject a desired amount of air 7 into space S3.

[0111] Compressed air generated by air supply source 62 and having a flow rate adjusted by ejection amount adjustment unit 64 is supplied to nozzle 61B via air supply pipe 63B. This allows nozzle 61B to eject a desired amount of air 7 into space S3.

[0112] Compressed air generated by air supply source 62 and having a flow rate adjusted by ejection amount adjuster 64 is supplied to nozzle 61C via air supply pipe 63C. This allows nozzle 61C to eject a desired amount of air 7 into space S3.

[0113] Compressed air generated by air supply source 62 and having a flow rate adjusted by ejection amount adjuster 64 is supplied to nozzle 61D via air supply pipe 63D. This allows nozzle 61D to eject a desired amount of air 7 into space S3.

[0114] By spraying air 7 from nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C, and 61D, the coarsely crushed fragments M2 remaining in space S3, particularly the tangled clumps of coarsely crushed fragments M2, can be disentangled and broken down into individual pieces. This prevents or eliminates clogging of the coarsely crushed fragments M2, allows the coarsely crushed fragments M2 to be smoothly transported between the rotor 5 and the liner 4, and allows good pulverization (defibration) to continue. As a result, the coarsely crushed fragments M2 can be efficiently pulverized.

[0115] Nozzle 61A, nozzle 61B, nozzle 61C, and nozzle 61D are embedded in the wall of casing 3, i.e., cylindrical peripheral wall 35. Nozzle 61A, nozzle 61B, nozzle 61C, and nozzle 61D have their tip ends, i.e., their outlets, located on the space S3 side, and their base ends located outside casing 3.

[0116] 3, nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C, and 61D are spaced apart from one another at equal intervals (equal angular intervals) along the circumferential direction of rotor 5. Note that nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C, and 61D do not have to be arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of rotor 5.

[0117] Nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C, and 61D are each tilted, and the direction in which air 7 is ejected is opposite to the direction of rotation of rotor 5. More specifically, the direction in which air 7 is ejected from nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C, and 61D has a component in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation of rotor 5. This allows the air flow to collide at a relatively high speed against the coarse fragments M2 that rotate in the same direction in space S3 as rotor 5 rotates, which is highly effective in preventing or eliminating retention and clogging of coarse fragments M2, and therefore allows coarse fragments M2 to be more reliably transported between rotor 5 and liner 4. As a result, coarse fragments M2 can be more efficiently pulverized.

[0118] It should be noted that the nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C, and 61D do not have to be provided at an incline, and may have different inclination angles.

[0119] The air ejection unit 6 also has an ejection amount adjustment unit 64 that adjusts the amount of air 7 ejected per unit time from nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C, and 61D. As shown in Fig. 2, the ejection amount adjustment unit 64 has an on-off valve 641A provided in air supply pipe 63A to which nozzle 61A is connected, an on-off valve 641B provided in air supply pipe 63B to which nozzle 61B is connected, an on-off valve 641C provided in air supply pipe 63C to which nozzle 61C is connected, and an on-off valve 641D provided in air supply pipe 63D to which nozzle 61D is connected.

[0120] On-off valve 641A, on-off valve 641B, on-off valve 641C and on-off valve 641D are each constituted by an electromagnetic valve, and opening and closing thereof is controlled by control unit 281. By the opening and closing operations of on-off valve 641A, on-off valve 641B, on-off valve 641C and on-off valve 641D, the flow paths of air 7 formed in air supply pipes 63A, 63B, 63C and 63D are opened and closed, respectively.

[0121] The opening and closing patterns of the on-off valves 641A, 641B, 641C, and 641D can be set appropriately and are not particularly limited, but may be, for example, the opening and closing patterns described below.

[0122] The on-off valves 641A, 641B, 641C, and 641D can be configured to have an opening / closing pattern that alternates between an open state and a closed state at predetermined time intervals. This allows the nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C, and 61D to intermittently spray air 7, as shown by the solid lines in the graph of FIG. 5. This effectively dissolves the entanglement of the coarse fragments M2 that have accumulated and formed clumps in the space S3, preventing or eliminating clogging of the coarse fragments M2. As a result, the coarse fragments M2 can be more reliably transferred between the rotor 5 and the liner 4.

[0123] The ejection pattern of air 7 as shown by the solid line in the graph of FIG. 5 may be applied to some of the nozzles among nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C, and 61D, for example, nozzles 61A and 61C.

[0124] The average amount of air 7 ejected per unit time from nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C, and 61D when on-off valves 641A, 641B, 641C, and 641D are open, particularly when fully open, is preferably 50 L / min to 4000 L / min, and more preferably 100 L / min to 2000 L / min, in total, for all nozzles. This makes it possible to more reliably obtain the above-mentioned effects.

[0125] The opening and closing timing of on-off valve 641A, on-off valve 641B, on-off valve 641C and on-off valve 641D may be configured so that all of on-off valve 641A, on-off valve 641B, on-off valve 641C and on-off valve 641D open and close at the same timing, or so that one or more of them open and close at a different timing than the others.

[0126] At least one of the on-off valve 641A, the on-off valve 641B, the on-off valve 641C, and the on-off valve 641D may be configured so that the opening degree can be adjusted continuously or stepwise.

[0127] In the present invention, the ejection pattern of air 7 from nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C, and 61D may be the same for all nozzles, or at least one of these may be different from the other nozzles.

[0128] In this embodiment, there are four air supply pipes 63A, 63B, 63C, and 63D, which are connected to nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C, and 61D, respectively, but the configuration is not limited to this, and for example, a single air supply pipe may be branched into multiple (four) branch pipes along the way, and nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C, and 61D may be connected to the ends of each branch pipe. In this case, on-off valves 641A, 641B, 641C, and 641D are installed along the branch pipes, respectively, to adjust the flow rate of air 7 supplied to each nozzle.

[0129] As described above, the pulverizing device 13 includes a casing 3 having an inlet 31 and an outlet 32 ​​for the coarsely crushed fragments M2 (the raw material); a rotor 5 housed within the casing 3, having a first blade 511 and a second blade 521, and rotating around a rotation axis 50 to pulverize the coarsely crushed fragments M2; and an air ejection unit 6 having at least one nozzle (in this embodiment, four nozzles: 61A, 61B, 61C, and 61D) that ejects air 7 into a space S3 within the casing 3 closer to the inlet 31 than the rotor 5. This allows the coarsely crushed fragments M2 remaining in the space S3, particularly tangled and clumped coarsely crushed fragments M2, to be disentangled and broken down into individual pieces. Therefore, the coarsely crushed fragments M2 can be smoothly transported through the gaps around the outer periphery of the rotor 5, particularly between the rotor 5 and the liner 4, thereby enabling good pulverization (defibration) to continue. As a result, the coarsely crushed fragments M2 can be efficiently pulverized.

[0130] In this embodiment, a configuration has been described in which strip-shaped coarsely crushed pieces M2 are used as the raw material for pulverization, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the shape of the raw material may be, for example, scale-like, cotton-like, pellet-like, granular, or powder-like. Furthermore, while the raw material has been described as being a fibrous raw material, i.e., paper, the present invention is not limited to this, and the raw material may not contain fiber. The type of raw material in the present invention is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, food such as grains, seeds, medicines, feed, fertilizers, industrial raw materials, industrial products, etc. The same effects as those described above can be achieved in the pulverization process of such raw materials.

[0131] Nozzle 61A, nozzle 61B, nozzle 61C, and nozzle 61D are arranged spaced apart from one another along the circumferential direction of rotor 5 on peripheral wall 35, which is a wall portion of casing 3. This makes it possible to achieve the above-mentioned effect over the entire circumferential direction of rotor 5.

[0132] At least one of the nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C, and 61D may be provided on the side wall 36 shown in Fig. 2. Also, there may be only one nozzle instead of multiple nozzles.

[0133] Nozzle 61A, nozzle 61B, nozzle 61C, and nozzle 61D spray air 7 in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of rotor 5. This allows the air flow to collide with the coarse fragments M2 present in space S3 at a relatively high speed, which is highly effective in preventing or eliminating retention of the coarse fragments M2, and therefore allows the coarse fragments M2 to be more reliably transported to the gap on the outer periphery of rotor 5, particularly between rotor 5 and liner 4. As a result, the coarse fragments M2 can be more efficiently pulverized.

[0134] The air ejection unit 6 has an ejection amount adjustment unit 64 that adjusts the amount of air 7 ejected per unit time from nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C, and 61D. This makes it possible to adjust the amount of air 7 ejected per unit time from each of nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C, and 61D, and to further optimize the amount and ejection pattern of air 7 ejected into space S3. As a result, the coarse fragments M2 can be more efficiently pulverized.

[0135] The jetting amount adjusting unit 64 has on-off valves 641A, 641B, 641C, and 641D that control the opening and closing of the flow paths to nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C, and 61D so that nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C, and 61D intermittently jet air 7. This allows the amount and pattern of air 7 jetted into space S3 to be more optimized, and more effectively prevents or eliminates entanglement of coarsely crushed fragments M2 that have accumulated and formed clumps in space S3. This allows the coarsely crushed fragments M2 to be more reliably transported to the gaps around the outer periphery of the rotor 5, particularly between the rotor 5 and the liner 4. As a result, the coarsely crushed fragments M2 can be more efficiently pulverized.

[0136] As described above, the micro-finishing device 13 has a liner 4 installed on the inner surface of the casing 3, and as the rotor 5 rotates, the raw material, coarsely crushed fragments M2, move between the liner 4 and the blades, the first blade 511 and the second blade 521, and are micro-finished. In addition, in the micronization device 13, nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C and 61D are arranged spaced apart from each other along the circumferential direction of rotor 5 on peripheral wall 35, which is the wall portion of casing 3, and spray air 7 in the opposite direction to the rotational direction of rotor 5, and air spraying section 6 has spray amount adjustment section 64 that adjusts the amount of air 7 sprayed per unit time from nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C and 61D, and spray amount adjustment section 64 has on-off valves 641A, 641B, 641C and 641D that control the opening and closing of air supply pipes 63A to 63D, which are flow paths to nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C and 61D, so that nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C and 61D spray air 7 intermittently. By configuring the pulverizer 13 in this way, a synergistic effect is created by the above-mentioned components, and the entanglement of the coarsely crushed fragments M2 that have accumulated and become clumps in the space S3 can be more effectively eliminated. This more reliably prevents or eliminates clogging of the coarsely crushed fragments M2, more reliably transports the coarsely crushed fragments M2 to the gaps on the outer periphery of the rotor 5, particularly between the rotor 5 and the liner 4, and also allows this good pulverization process to be continued. As a result, the coarsely crushed fragments M2 can be more efficiently pulverized.

[0137] Second Embodiment FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a jetting direction adjusting section provided in a second embodiment of the micro-fining device of the present invention.

[0138] Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the micropatterning apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 6. In the following, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and a description of commonalities will be omitted.

[0139] As shown in Figure 6, the air jetting unit 6 has a jetting direction adjusting unit 65. The jetting direction adjusting unit 65 adjusts the jetting direction of air 7 from nozzle 61C. Although not shown, nozzles 61A, 61B, and 61D also have a similar configuration, making it possible to adjust the jetting direction of air 7. Below, nozzle 61C will be described as a representative example, and the other nozzles 61A, 61B, and 61D have the same configuration, so their description will be omitted.

[0140] A through-hole 351 is formed in the peripheral wall 35 of the casing 3, and a rotation support 651 is provided in the through-hole 351 to rotatably support the nozzle 61C. The rotation support 651 supports the longitudinal center of the nozzle 61C. As a result, the nozzle 61C can rotate in either the forward or reverse direction as shown by the arrow in Figure 6 around the longitudinal center as a central axis. This rotation allows the angle of the nozzle 61C, i.e., the direction in which the air 7 is ejected, to be adjusted.

[0141] Although not shown, the jetting direction adjustment unit 65 has a fixing member that fixes the angle of the nozzle 61C, and the nozzle 61C is fixed at a set angle by the fixing member.

[0142] According to this configuration, by adjusting the angle of the nozzle 61C, it is possible to jet the air 7 toward an area where clumps of the coarsely crushed pieces M2 are likely to form, for example.

[0143] In addition, by adjusting the angle of the nozzle 61C, the direction in which the air 7 is ejected from the nozzle 61C can be selected to be opposite to the rotation direction of the rotor 5, the same direction as the rotation direction of the rotor 5, or toward the rotation axis 50, which is the center of rotation of the rotor 5.

[0144] Furthermore, even when the angle of the nozzle 61C is adjusted so that the direction of the air 7 being ejected has a component opposite to the rotation direction of the rotor 5, the amount of the component opposite to the rotation direction of the rotor 5 can be finely adjusted by finely adjusting the angle.

[0145] As a result, depending on the conditions and operating status of the micro-finishing device 13, it is possible to sufficiently prevent or eliminate the retention or clogging of the coarsely crushed fragments M2 in the space S3, and the coarsely crushed fragments M2 can be more effectively transported to the gap on the outer periphery of the rotor 5, particularly between the rotor 5 and the liner 4.

[0146] In this way, the air jetting unit 6 has a jetting direction adjusting unit 65 that adjusts the jetting direction of the air 7 from the nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C, and 61D. This allows the coarse fragments M2 to be more effectively transported to the gap on the outer periphery of the rotor 5, particularly between the rotor 5 and the liner 4.

[0147] It is preferable that the portion of air supply tube 63C connected to nozzle 61C is flexible. This allows for easy and smooth angle adjustment by rotating nozzle 61C. The same applies to the other air supply tubes 63A, 63B, and 63D.

[0148] Third Embodiment FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a nozzle position adjusting section provided in a third embodiment of the micro-fining device of the present invention.

[0149] Hereinafter, the third embodiment of the micropatterning apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 7. In the following, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and a description of commonalities will be omitted.

[0150] As shown in Fig. 7, the air ejection unit 6 has a nozzle position adjustment unit 66. The nozzle position adjustment unit 66 adjusts the position of nozzle 61C in the circumferential direction of the rotor 5. Although not shown, nozzles 61A, 61B, and 61D also have a similar configuration, making it possible to adjust their positions in the circumferential direction of the rotor 5. Below, nozzle 61C will be described as a representative example, and the other nozzles 61A, 61B, and 61D have the same configuration, so their description will be omitted.

[0151] An elongated hole 352 extending in the circumferential direction of the rotor 5 is formed in the peripheral wall 35 of the casing 3. The nozzle 61C is movable along the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole 352 by a rail portion 661 provided in the elongated hole 352. This movement makes it possible to adjust the position of the nozzle 61C in the circumferential direction of the rotor 5.

[0152] Although not shown, the nozzle position adjustment unit 66 has a fixing member that fixes the position of the nozzle 61C in the movement direction, and the nozzle 61C is fixed to a set position around the rotor 5 by this fixing member.

[0153] With this configuration, by adjusting the position of the nozzle 61C in the circumferential direction of the rotor 5, it is possible to jet the air 7 toward, for example, an area where clumps of the coarsely crushed fragments M2 are likely to form. Therefore, depending on the conditions and operating status of the pulverizing device 13, it is possible to sufficiently prevent or eliminate retention or clogging of the coarsely crushed fragments M2 in the space S3, and it is possible to more effectively transport the coarsely crushed fragments M2 into the gap on the outer periphery of the rotor 5, particularly between the rotor 5 and the liner 4.

[0154] In this way, the air ejection unit 6 has a nozzle position adjustment unit 66 that adjusts the positions of the nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C, and 61D in the circumferential direction of the rotor 5. This allows the coarse fragments M2 to be more effectively transported to the gap on the outer periphery of the rotor 5, particularly between the rotor 5 and the liner 4.

[0155] It is also possible to combine the nozzle position adjustment unit 66 of this embodiment with the jetting direction adjustment unit 65 described in the second embodiment. In this case, it is possible to adjust both the position and angle (the jetting direction of air 7) of nozzles 61A, 61B, 61C, and 61D in the circumferential direction of rotor 5, allowing for more delicate fine adjustments. In other words, the synergistic effect of the jetting direction adjustment unit 65 and the nozzle position adjustment unit 66 makes it possible to more effectively and reliably transport the coarse fragments M2 into the gap on the outer periphery of rotor 5, particularly between rotor 5 and liner 4, and as a result, it is possible to more efficiently pulverize the coarse fragments M2.

[0156] Although the micronization device of the present invention has been described above in relation to the illustrated embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these, and each component constituting the micronization device and the sheet manufacturing apparatus having the same can be replaced with any other component capable of performing the same function. Furthermore, any component may be added to the micronization device and the sheet manufacturing apparatus having the same. Furthermore, the micronization device of the present invention may be any combination of the features of the above-described embodiments.

[0157] Furthermore, the sheet manufacturing apparatus may omit the raw material supply unit 11 and the crushing unit 12. In this case, the sheet manufacturing apparatus includes a crushed piece supply unit that supplies crushed pieces instead of the raw material supply unit 11 and the crushing unit 12.

[0158] Furthermore, the micronization device of the present invention may be installed in a sheet manufacturing device having a configuration other than the above-mentioned sheet manufacturing device, or may be installed in various devices other than a sheet manufacturing device, such as a molding device, a powder manufacturing device, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0159] 3...casing, 4...liner, 5...rotor, 6...air jet section, 7...air, 11...raw material supply section, 12...crushing section, 13...refining device, 14...screening section, 15...first web forming section, 16...segmenting section, 17...mixing section, 18...dispersing section, 19...second web forming section, 20...shaping section, 21...cutting section, 22...stock section, 27...recovery section, 28...control device, 31...feeding port, 32...discharge port, 33...partition plate, 34...partition plate, 35...periphery wall, 36...side wall, 41...teeth, 50...rotating shaft, 51...first rotor section, 52...second rotor section, 53...fixing plate, 54...side plate, 55...side plate, 61A... Nozzle, 61B... nozzle, 61C... nozzle, 61D... nozzle, 62... air supply source, 63A... air supply pipe, 63C... air supply pipe, 64... spray amount adjustment unit, 65... spray direction adjustment unit, 66... ​​nozzle position adjustment unit, 100... sheet manufacturing apparatus, 121... coarse crushing blade, 122... chute, 141... drum unit, 142... housing unit, 151... mesh belt, 152... tension roller, 153... suction unit, 161... propeller, 162... housing unit, 170... housing unit, 171... additive supply unit, 172... pipe, 173... blower, 174... screw feeder, 181... drum, 182 ...housing, 191...mesh belt, 192...tension roller, 193...suction unit, 201...pressure unit, 202...heating unit, 203...calender roller, 204...heating roller, 211...first cutter, 212...second cutter, 231...humidifying unit, 232...humidifying unit, 233...humidifying unit, 234...humidifying unit, 235...humidifying unit, 236...humidifying unit, 241...pipe, 242...pipe, 243...pipe, 244...pipe, 245...pipe, 246...pipe, 261...blower, 262...blower, 263...blower, 281...control unit, 282...storage unit, 283...communication unit, 351...through hole, 352...long Hole, 411...protrusion, 412...top, 511...first blade, 511A...edge, 512...end surface, 513...end surface, 521...second blade, 521A...edge, 522...end surface, 523...end surface, 531...surface, 532...surface, 541...surface, 551...surface, 641A...opening / closing valve, 641C...opening / closing valve, 651...rotation support part, 661...rail part, C...circle, M...motor, M1...raw material, M2...coarsely crushed pieces, M3...defibrated material, M4-1...first sorted material, M4-2...second sorted material, M5...first web, M6...fine body, M7...mixture, M8...second web, P1...binder, R...path, S...recycled paper,S0...interior space, S3...space,

Claims

1. a casing having a raw material inlet and outlet; a rotor housed in the casing, having blades, and rotating around a rotation axis to pulverize the raw material; an air ejection unit having at least one nozzle for ejecting air into a space inside the casing on the side of the rotor that is closer to the inlet.

2. The atomization apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the nozzles are arranged on the wall of the casing at intervals along the circumferential direction of the rotor.

3. 2. The micronization apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle ejects air in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the rotor.

4. 4. The micro-fining apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air ejection unit has an ejection amount adjusting unit that adjusts the amount of air ejected from the nozzle per unit time.

5. 5. The micro-fining apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the jetting amount adjusting section has an on-off valve that controls opening and closing of a flow path to the nozzle so that the nozzle intermittently jets air.

6. 4. The micro-fining apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air ejection unit has an ejection direction adjustment unit that adjusts the direction in which the air is ejected from the nozzle.

7. 4. The micronization device according to claim 1, wherein the air ejection unit has a nozzle position adjustment unit that adjusts the position of the nozzle in the circumferential direction of the rotor.

8. a liner installed on the inner circumferential surface of the casing, and the raw material is transferred between the liner and the blades by the rotation of the rotor and is pulverized; a plurality of the nozzles are arranged on a wall portion of the casing at intervals along a circumferential direction of the rotor, and jet air in a direction opposite to a rotation direction of the rotor; the air ejection unit has an ejection amount adjustment unit that adjusts the amount of air ejected from the nozzle per unit time, 2. The micro-fining apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the jetting amount adjusting unit has an on-off valve that controls opening and closing of a flow path to the nozzle so that the nozzle intermittently jets air.

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